At that statement, Devon threw his hands up in the air. “Thank you!”
“Mom looking to plan a wedding, is she?”
“I don’t know. I think I hurt her feelings because she irritated me this morning.”
“I’m sure she means well, but do you know how often she bugged Lori and me to have kids?”
Devon scoffed. “Hell, yeah. She did the same to me when I got married.”
“I suppose I have a short reprieve while Maisie is little,” Caleb mused.
“Shit. It won’t last but, for now, she’s focused on me.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I think you’re doing great. Just this time last month, you were on the edge of reason. Two months ago, you were getting blitzed at John’s party.”
He nodded. “Thanks, Caleb.”
If he thought about it, he realized it was a bitch to discover she was at least a tiny bit right. There wasn’t exactly anything standing in his way from letting things progress. He certainly had feelings for Chloe. She had strong feelings for him. Hailey loved her.
It didn't matter how many things he ticked off a list. He wasn’t ready for that step. He didn’t think it would take very much longer, but they’d been friends for four months and only been out one time. As he’d told his mother earlier, he wouldn’t propose after one date, no matter how much they pressured him.
But he couldn't stop thinking about Chloe for the rest of the day and well into the evening. He knew she was working that evening, meaning he wouldn't be able to talk to her. It made him antsy. He was a little stronger each day, but he wasn’t one hundred percent cured of the issues which plagued him. He trusted Chloe implicitly, which was a plus. He didn't worry as much about his self-worth as he had just six weeks ago. Still, every decision had to be weighed against whether it was a knee jerk reaction to his emotions or if it was the right thing to do.
As long as Anna and Vince’s case went unresolved, Devon would feel their betrayal as a festering wound. He thought about them in the back of his mind on an around-the-clock basis. There were moments when he could forget completely, like when Hailey was her usual boisterous self, but mostly the two of them hovered at the back of his consciousness. He needed to know they would be punished, that they would pay for what they’d done. The fact they would face the consequences of their actions comforted him, regardless of whether they were sorry.
He would see them; in Vince’s case, at a trial, and in Anna’s case, he assumed he’d only get one visit. But he would show them they didn't matter to him anymore. They weren’t important. He sighed as he tried to find a comfortable position in bed. It would help if he meant it by the time he got the chance to say it. For the time being, they mattered more than he liked. He needed a resolution he wouldn’t soon receive.
His phone lit up from the nightstand and he reached for it, grinning when he saw Chloe’s name on the display.
He swiped at the screen to stop the vibrating. “Hey, Chloe.”
“Hi. I didn't wake you, did I?” she asked softly.
He sat up in the dark. “No, unfortunately.”
“Can’t sleep?”
“Nope. I missed you today.”
She hummed. “I missed you, too. A lot.”
“Enough to call me after your late shift?” he teased.
“Yes, as a matter of fact.” He heard the smile in her voice. “You were the first person I thought of when I clocked out.”
That made him happy. “What are you doing now? Are you home, I hope?”
“Yeah, I’m feeding Tugger.”
He pictured her in the tiny kitchen of her carriage house. “I’m glad you thought of me, because I sure thought of you. Earlier, I wished I could take you to dinner. How much longer do you have to work these late shifts?”
“About three months. I’m looking forward to it ending so I can spend more time with you and Hailey.”
“That would be really nice.” Devon shifted his legs on the bed. “I saw the therapist today. It went the same as last week.”
“Just going every week is progress.”
“Thanks for that. I thought maybe I’m moving too slowly.” He held his breath while he waited for her response.
